Fires in Greece: Whittlesey family speak of ‘scary’ holiday amid Rhodes wildfires

A family from Whittlesey has spoken of the terrifying ordeal they have been forced to endure while holidaying on the fire-ravaged island.

Speaking by phone from their hotel on the Greek island, Zoe, who didn’t wish to share her surname, her partner and their two young children told the Peterborough Telegraph they have felt like “sitting ducks” for the past week.

“It’s scary,” Zoe said, “We’ve had fires breaking out here, there and everywhere.”

Zoe and her family arrived on Rhodes on Thursday July 13 for a two-week holiday in Pefkos, a popular resort on the island’s idyllic east coast

After settling and initially enjoying “a good few days” of relaxing, the family quickly became aware all was not well:

“It was on Saturday (July 22), when the electricity went off for over half the day, that the problems started,” Zoe recalls: “and then we saw the smoke and the fires.”

“They were really close, only about 10 km (six miles) away”

Wildfires fanned by strong winds have been ravaging the island’s central areas since Tuesday (July 18).

Understandably, the 40-year-old mum has been beset by anxiety.

‘We’re some of the lucky ones’

“It’s scary”, she said, “especially in the evenings when it’s dark - the wind picks up and there’s no electricity and you can see the fires.

“You’ve got your children sleeping there and you don’t know if the next minute the fire alarm is going to go off and you’re going to have to run down to the sea to get on a boat.”

Reports estimate close to 20,000 people have already had to be evacuated from their accommodation by land and sea.

“We’re some of the lucky ones,” Zoe offers, “we haven’t had to be evacuated.”

“Some people have had to go off to schools and basketball courts, sleeping on floors and chairs.”

Though the area the family is in is considered to be relatively safe at the moment, the effects of the fires continue to have a significant impact:

“We feel stranded,” Zoe said. “All the roads are closed, there’s limited food to eat, and supermarkets are only open for short spells.”

The fact that electricity and running water are almost completely absent, Zoe observed, makes matters worse.

“The pool is dirty and unusable because the [electric] pumps aren’t working.

“You can’t go in the sea as you get covered in sand and salt and can’t shower because there’s no water.

“You can’t do anything - you’re just sat in the apartment, where there’s no air-conditioning, just waiting.”

The anxious mum has been distinctly underwhelmed by the support her holiday company has provided. “The Jet2 rep was here for an hour on Saturday and then gone - I haven’t seen her since.”

Understandably, getting home is now the family’s chief priority:

“We’re not meant to be going home until Thursday but we’re happy to get the earliest flight out that we can.”

Jet2 has said it is trying to get all of its customers home today (July 25).

“We’ve spoken to Jet2,” Zoe explained: “they said they’re getting everyone home so now we’ve just got to wait for a phone call.”

“We’re all packed; everyone’s in their going-home-stuff, and we’re all just waiting.”